The potestas of practice
Can the existence of a social practice justify practical authority? A medi-eval debate between hierocrats and caesaropapists may help to illuminate this ques-tion. Focusing mainly on Marsilius of Padua, with reference to John of Paris, this article suggests that caesaropapists can be read as develop...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Imprint Academic
2021
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| Summary: | Can the existence of a social practice justify practical authority? A medi-eval debate between hierocrats and caesaropapists may help to illuminate this ques-tion. Focusing mainly on Marsilius of Padua, with reference to John of Paris, this article suggests that caesaropapists can be read as developing a 'practice conception' of the structure and scope of ecclesiastical authority. Because it brings the conflict over authority to a new battleground, the practice conception supplies caesaropapists with a source of dialectical leverage over hierocratic doctrine. The paper explores the strengths and limitations of this methodological approach and links it to debates in contemporary political thought. |
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